A carefully crafted newsletter will be produced until the end of the year, informing the wooden Šnipiškės community and the sympathisers of this unique territory about the year-long heritage conservation project, which is based on the cooperation between Vilnius City Municipality, ID Vilnius and BLUMA and the local residents. The ambition of the project is to develop a sustainable model for the renovation of the wooden buildings in Šnipiškės, guided by community dialogue, research and practical guidelines. The project aims not only to preserve the cultural heritage of the wooden houses, but also to strengthen the social and economic well-being of the local population. The project will seek to uncover and document the uniqueness of the wooden part of Šnipiškės – the subjectively felt, special atmosphere of a particular place, the so-called genius loci– by drawing on the data of research already carried out in various fields, newly organised community activities such as the artistic-anthropological research Cultural probes, and direct interviews with the inhabitants. This official description of the genius loci will become an important tool in the future in the preparation of heritage protection and spatial planning documents, in order to preserve the most precious features of the district. The importance of the genius loci concept was confirmed in 2008 when, in Canada, ICOMOS members adopted the “Quebec City Declaration on the Preservation of the Spirit of Place “, which validated the importance of the genius loci for the harmony between the natural and the man-made cityscape. This document defines the spirit of place as the totality of not only intangible but also tangible elements such as buildings, land, landscapes, routes, objects. You can find out more about genius loci by listening to
LRT’s “Homo cultus. , which looks at ethical urbanisation, the spirit of place and the new European Bauhaus.
Throughout 2024, various meetings, workshops or publications will be organised to inform the community about the Historic Building Façade Management Programme, to empower residents to take advantage of the programme’s tools, and to provide clear rules and guidelines to help residents take care of their wooden buildings in a way that takes into account their individual socio-economic capabilities. Together, we will try to grow the local social capital and consolidate the image of wooden Šnipiškės as a unique and respectful part of Vilnius. The authors of this newsletter are BLUMA, who started working on the Wooden Šnipiškės project on 19 January this year. We are urban planners and architects working on strategic green infrastructure planning, helping communities to create a sustainable environment that works for them. This year we will take on the role of mediators between the wooden Šnipiškės community and the municipality. We will aim to provide visual and simple information relevant to the project, to develop tools that will help the residents of Snipiškės to take care of their homes, to enable them to benefit from the new renovation programme and, most importantly, to listen to the community’s voice and to make it heard. All the contracts concluded by ID Vilnius UAB with external suppliers can be found on the public procurement page – the contract with Bluma Collective MB (2006770051) and the contract with Ieva Šimkonyte, who carries out genius loci artistic research (2006805412).
First steps: meeting the community
On 29 January, the first public event took place at the Vilnius City Municipality building, during which the project partners introduced the meeting guests to the objectives, the results to be achieved, the activities planned for this year and, most importantly, got to know you – the wooden Šnipiškės community and the Vilnius residents who care about your neighbourhood. For more information about the event, see the ID Vilnius announcement. We noted that a number of studies, researches and analyses have already been carried out on the image, community, heritage and architectural and urban situation of Šnipiškės. All of this could serve to clarify the spirit of the place. To ensure that the work we have done is not forgotten, we have compiled a list of them, which you can find in the slides we presented during the event. Do you have any suggestions on what research, studies or projects carried out in Šnipiškės – and about Šnipiškės – could be added to the list we have compiled?
Problem tree
Our analysis of the material gathered has identified issues that we believe need to be taken into account in the way forward. We have grouped them into three categories: community, socio-economic and heritage issues. In an attempt to understand the relationship between them, we have drawn up a diagram, which we call a problem tree. During the meeting with the community, we heard first-hand what the people of Šnipiškės are living with, what they are concerned about, what problems they are facing and what they cannot solve themselves. After the meeting on 29 January, we decided to add four more topics to the tree: genius loci, the vision of Šnipiškės, life in the trees, construction and development of the territory. Feedback is the key to the success of this project. We would like to hear your opinion: did we manage to cope with the task, to hear your voice, to capture the most important issues? How could we refine or add to this tree? You can make comments and suggestions by filling in the survey.
Link to the updated problem tree
Click here to complete the problem tree
Presentation of the Heritage Programme
On 7 February, Vilnius City Council hosted a presentation of the Vilnius Heritage Management Programme to the city community. During the meeting, the four funding streams and their amounts for the renovation of cultural heritage sites and heritage buildings in cultural heritage areas were discussed. During the meeting, residents had the opportunity to meet and briefly consult with Kęstutis Masaitis from the Vilnius Old Town Renewal Agency, responsible for the implementation of the Vilnius Heritage Management Programme. Kęstutis will continue to provide advice on filling in the applications and will be responsible for their evaluation – his contact details can be found here. It is important to note that applications for the Vilnius Heritage Programme will be accepted until 30 April. If you do not manage to prepare your application this year, don’t worry, you will be able to do so again next year between January and April – the aim is to make this funding for the Heritage Programme a continuous one. It covers all improvement works except interior decoration, insulation, new partitioning, installation, repair or reconstruction of heating, sewage, water supply systems. For full information on the programme, frequently asked questions and application templates, please visit the Heritage Programme website.
More information on the Heritage Programme
Setting up a working group of community members
For this project, we are inviting residents to join a community working group, in consultation with the most enterprising members of the wooden Šnipiškės community. The purpose of the working group is to promote the sharing and organisation of active ideas, solutions and action plans, and the transparent distribution of work among all stakeholders, ensuring an efficient and inclusive project implementation. The first meeting of the Working Group is scheduled between 19 and 21 February. To join the Community Members Working Group, please send an email to info@bluma.lt.
Other news and events
▶ “276 Steps Towards EUROPE” – don’t miss this unique exhibition!
We invite you to visit the exhibition “276 Steps Towards EUROPE”, where you will be able to look at Šnipiškės through the eyes of the Lithuanian National Prize for Culture and Arts laureate photographer Algimantas Aleksandravičius. His photographic walk through the wooden Šnipiškės was first shown in 2020 on a wooden fence on a street in this district. The photographs have already travelled to many other locations in Vilnius, Lithuania and even Latvia, and are currently on display in the café MANO GURU (Vilniaus str. 20). ▶ Interactive fairy-tale excursion “276 Towards Europe” – explore Šnipiškės in a different way!
Šnipiškės’ initiative “EIK ART” has brought together artists from different fields to rediscover the Šnipiškės community in an interactive project of film, animation, photography and text. “276 Towards Europe becomes a bridge between the past and the present, allowing us to delve deeper into the history and culture of the district. ▶ Vilnius Community Initiatives Competition – Let’s come together for initiatives!
For the eighth year in a row, Vilnius City Municipality invites the Šnipiškės community (and more!) to take part in the initiatives competition. This competition is a great opportunity to implement ideas that promote community, cultural and educational activities, taking into account the principles of environmental protection and sustainability. This year, special attention is being paid to projects that promote the responsible use of resources and environmental sustainability. This is a chance for each of us to contribute to the green transformation of Šnipiškės and the wider Vilnius community. Click here for more information.
Would you like to contribute to the Wooden Šnipiškės project?
This newsletter is produced by BLUMA, a nature-based design agency working with cities, people and nature.
